Carrot Cake Pancakes (Freezer Friendly)

How they came to be

Once upon a time I had 6 hens laying eggs and a toddler who would not eat eggs. Which is how these egg heavy pancakes came into our lives. These pancakes get devoured in my home and freeze well. I freeze them in a single layer and then pop them into a labeled freezer bag. When ready to eat I heat them in the microwave for 25-30 seconds and they're ready to go. Sometimes my toddler eats them straight out of the freezer.

Why we love them

These are great to take on the go, just pop them into a ziplock and they're defrosted by the time you get to your destination. My toddler can be caught walking around the zoo with one of these in his hands quite frequently.

A touch of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg add a spiced flavor to them and my toddler can't get enough. They are natural sweet from the carrots and spices and don't need any added sugar. Egg heavy and nutrient dense. There is about half an egg per pancake which is great for toddler protein protests.

What you'll need

2 cups raw shredded carrots. Usually 2 to 3 medium sized carrots. I love using my rotary grater for this and my toddler gets to help turn the handle which is fun for him and allows him to develop motor skills. And then there is the added bonus of munching on carrots while we do it. Having my toddler help me cook has drastically increased the foods he eats and it is so convenient to add raw foods to that list.

4 eggs. These will be dropped straight into the blender.

1/3 cup oat flour. Blend oats for 30-60 seconds. They don't have to be perfectly fine like flour.

A dash of Nutmeg. A little goes a long way when it comes to nutmeg. I use a whole nut that I scrape along a fine cheese grater once or twice and it gives me plenty. I whole single nutmeg seed a couple years ago and I have only used half of it. I prefer whole spices when I have the option because of all the recent recalls on spices. A whole seed lets me know there isn't anything added for weight. Alternatively, a small pinch of ground nutmeg would work as well. Consumer Reports tested 36 different types of ground cinnamon and whole 365 organic was the lowest. The article can be found here

A Sprinkle of Cinnamon. This is a big one when it comes to recalls, especially for lead. It blows my mind that there are so many recalls for such a dangerous substance in our FOOD. I like to use Whole Foods Organic Whole 365 Cinnamon.

A blender. Any ol' blender will do. No need for specialty high powered blenders here.

How to make them

The batter for these are made in the blender which makes them quick and easy once you have grated the carrots. Makes 7-9 pancakes.

Step 1: Grate Carrots

Step 2: Add ingredients to a blender, I like to add the eggs first, then oat flour, and then the carrots and spices. I find having the liquid at the bottom allows for the other ingredients to drop in a blend smoothly.

Step 3: Butter your skillet, or in my case, my flat top. Using a 1/4 measuring cup drop the batter into the skillet with enough seperation for the pancakes to spread. They will be thin on the sides and the thicker carrot heavy center will look thicker. Allow to cook for a few minutes and flip when they are browned around the edges and on the bottom. Cook a couple more minutes on the other side, remove from pan, allow to cool, butter your pan again and repeat.